I'm Back...

Overall it was a pretty crazy week. I started in Baltimore, then went to Ann Arbor and finished in Chicago.

The 2nd day of my two-day Peabody Conservatory audition consisted of a Graduate Assistantship Choral Conducting Audition. There were about 6 of us auditioning for the job (and there were 7 the day before). The choir, which consists of all instrumentalists, are preparing a piece by Franz Joseph Haydn, who is a 'Classical' style composer. Luckily for me, I've sung numerous songs by both Mozart and Haydn, which only made it better for me at this audition. I left my practice CD at home but luckily found a website that allowed me to buy the mp3s. I woke up around 1030 to practice conducting and mark up my score (red for cues, blue for dynamics, green for articulations) and when I went to the audition I also noticed that I had the most prepared score. The woman there told us that they needed someone to not only warm-ups and sectionals, but also to lead the full rehearsals in case the conductor could not make it. So they needed both leadership as a conductor and also a person who is relaxed and easygoing in front of the chorus. I decided, after a meeting with my choir director, that my strength would be not as a conductor, but as a musician and my personality. So that's where I decided to focus.

As walked in I smiled and said, "What's up guys, I'm from San Francisco and I'm happy to be here today. Where are my sopranos? Altos? Basses? And you've got to be the tenors. Of course, it's always the smallest section!" After I said that, the chorus laughed and I noticed them giving each other looks as if to say, "Wow, he's laid back."

I then conducted the three required sections, and then after that was done, the person who was judging me asked me to go back and work a specific section of the song as if I were the conductor, and most specifically, he asked me to rehearse the 'Gloria' section of the song. This was, pun intended, "music to my ears" because in the waiting room, as another of the candidates was going through with his audition, I singled out in my mind that I would love the chance to work the 'Gloria' section. Anyway, I worked that section, and when my time was up, the choir had sung almost 100% better.

As I was walking out, he walked me to the door, and asked me about my audition - did I do it already? How did it go? And most importantly, he slapped me on the back and said, with a big smile, "I'm really glad you came in today."

Now I didn't notice him doing that to other candidates, so I know that I nailed this one good. My going to Peabody is actually dependent on this assistantship - not only does it pay full tuition for me but I think I get a stipend as well.

Next time, my adventures in....

ANN ARBOR....

Makin' Mine Music

~No Tations~

*I'm kinda tired, so I just cut and pasted this email to one of my teachers at school*

Hi Dr. Deeter,

Just finished up my Peabody auditions. I started with 'Dog Star' and, just like the Orpheus audition, at every point in the song that you laughed, one of the voice teachers at Peabody laughed. So that was good.

Then they picked 'Dies Bildnis'. It started out okay, but then I started getting nervous, and started thinking about breath and stuff and, therefore, started having crappy breath and stuff. So the end didn't start off as well as the beginning, especially with the 'ware sie dann mein' part.

Anyway, they only asked for two songs, which was kinda strange, seeing as how they asked us to prepare 10. Then I did a reading of text in Italian, French and German.

The kicker is that I literally flew in and went straight to the school with my luggage in tow. I went into the bathroom to clean up - and while shaving, this guy came in and remarked, "Busy eh? What do you do, just go straight from audition to audition? What are you auditioning for?" When I told him " M.M. voice," he said, "Ah! I'm Roger Brunyate, the director of the Opera Program!" So when I went in for the audition he said, "Yeah, I met him shaving in the bathroom." Well, an impression's an impression right?

I'll let you know how the Michigan and Roosevelt ones go.

Makin' Mine Music

~No Tations~

BU

So my friend Ell and I are in Boston (Brookline to be specific) and we'll shortly be on our way to the University where one friend will go first and audition at 10am. Ell goes at 1pm and I'm on at 650(!). I'll be the last one, so hopefully I can WOW them even though they're probably exhausted from listening to over 40+ auditions.

I haven't had a whole lot of time to see Boston, but it's freakin' cold -- 25 degrees! Very crisp (I always love using that word to describe weather). I'll be making a little trek around Boston because I need to track down a couple of songs for my piano accompanist -- my dumb @ss left them back in the City.

We'll see how it goes

Makin' Mine Music

~No Tations~

I'm off

I'm leaving in about 3 hours for audition 1 of 4. This one's at Boston University. It wasn't on my original list but it's been growing on me.

I'm heading out 620am and arriving at 520 pm (via Chicago). Then I'll wait for another friend from state who's auditioning too and we'll go get a hotel room and some dinner.

Then I have an audition on Monday at 650 pm. I'll spend one more night in Boston, then it's back home on Tuesday morning.

Wish me luck

~No Tations~